Willem Dafoe and Keanu Reeves to square off in hitman pic John Wick

Keanu Reeves, just off his directorial debut for MAN OF TAI CHI, is joining the hitman pic JOHN WICK as a former hitman who is targeted by friend and current hitman played by Willem Dafoe. The script is from Derek Kolstad and the film has yet to court a director, but with the two leads locked in place it shouldn't take long to find someone to direct the shit out of 'em. The story is a little more complex than just a hitman vs. hitman thing, as per Deadline's description, which goes like this:

"Marcus [Dafoe] also happens to be a close friend of the Wick character He was the one who encouraged Wick to leave the life after his wife dies. Only later do things turn sour when Marcus gets the job to kill his friend. In the film, Reeves stars as the retired hitman who goes after the guy who stole his car and in the process killed Wicks beloved dog  a present from his late wife. Turns out the thiefs dad is a crime boss in New York, who puts a contract out on Wick."

I sense some shades of SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS meets ASSASSINS in here. It's got some quirk to it, especially once you toss in a stolen car and avenging the death of a dog, so I'm inclinded to think this may be more than your standard hitman vs. hitman fare. Either way, I'm a fan of both Reeves and Dafoe and the idea sounds like a lot of fun for both.

Reeves can next be seen in his directorial debut MAN OF TAI CHI and 47 RONIN on December 25, 2013, while Dafoe is next on screen with Scott Cooper's OUT OF THE FURNACE, debuting December 6, 2013.